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World Championship 2009 |
Held
the Irish Ironman / Long Distance Triathlon Record
at 42 years of age. (2008)
Ironman World
Championships 2009
5th place, podium
finisher in M40 age group (The largest most competitive
division at the 2009 World Championships). I have qualified
for the Ironman World Championships four times out of my last
four attempts.
1st Ironman UK M40 Age group 2008
1st Challenge Barcelona
M45 Age
Group 2011
4th Challenge Roth M45 Age Group
2011
2nd Overall Tri-Athy
Double Olympic 2011 (report)
2nd Overall Skerries
Sprint Triathlon 2011
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I
decided to have a go at a triathlon in my mid thirties
while watching my younger
brother do his first. Having enjoyed very little physical exercise since leaving school
in 1984, I needed to get fit and lose some weight. I was
immediately hooked and then one thing led to another.
 What
started out as a group decision in 2005 to have a go at an
Ironman race, record our efforts (see STONEMAD)
and be done with it, has for me
turned into something a little more than I had bargained for.
Now
eleven Iron distances races later, I still get the same
thrill from racing as I did my first race. I am still
striving for that elusive perfect race. I can’t say it’s a religious or spiritual thing, nor is it a fierce competitive urge to win.
I just really enjoy the training, the big race day and of course
I particularly enjoy finishing.
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I never thought I would achieve anything in
this sport. It has always been about a
healthy lifestyle and fun. Nobody was more
surprised than me when I broke the Irish
Ironman record, when I stood on the podium
in Hawaii and was the first veteran to
finish at Challenge Barcelona and IM UK.
I was particularly pleased with
finishing nearly half an hour ahead of the
next person in my age group, a top ten
bike split and 15th place (5th
amateur overall) at Ironman UK and coming in
ahead of nearly 1,500 other athletes. |
The little success I have enjoyed has been primarily down to the
help and support of my wife Eimear, two very accommodating baby
children, the generosity and advice of my brother Fergus and a
few other friends in the sport.
It’s not a cheap sport and to be honest I have been doing it on
a shoestring. Even
so I have achieved a standard where I am very competitive at an
age group level internationally and
despite usually exiting the water well down on my opposition, I
am able to cycle and run my way to a top finish.
I
am possibly the only Irishman racing Ironman in recent years
with multiple age group wins and am the only Irishman to stand
on the podium in Kona.
SPONSORSHIP
My ambition is to
return to the World Championships
in the near future and win my age-group.
For someone of my “sporting” background to stand on the
top podium spot at Kona would be quite something.
Obviously its still a pipedream, not to mention a
logistical minefield but if anyone out there is
interested in sharing the journey and get their brand
across the line and up on stage in Kona I would only be
too happy to talk to them.
A little bit of sponsorship would be great and would
certainly help me achieve my goals.
I would be delighted
to talk to anyone about what I may be able to offer a
potential sponsor in return, I
might even throw in
a painting or two!
Feel free to get in
touch at
chaospress @ eircom.net,
phone 0876403559.
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